Improvement in gas-keys



A. G. BUZBY.

\ GAS-KEY.

No. 189,695. Patented Apri117, 1857.

'N.PERS. FHOTCLITNOGRAPHER WASHINGTON. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE1 ALBERT G. BUZBY, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD ANTHONY, HENRY T. ANTHONY, AND V. M.WILOOX., OF

NEW YORK CITY.

IMPROVEMENT IN GAS-KEYS.

Speciiicationforming part of Letters Patent No. 189,695, dated April 17,1877; application led February 16, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT G. BUZBY, ofPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a High-Pressure Dissolving andQuick-Light Gas-Key, of which the following is a specilication:

My invention relates to improvements in the devices known asgas-dissolvers, or gaskeys, which are used in connection with calcium orlime-light apparatus; and the object of my invention is to construct adevice of this character for gases under heavy press' sure, and forinsuring rapidity and certainty of action.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is perspective view, drawn to areduced scale, of my dissolving apparatus; Fig. 2, a side view of theapparatus; Fig. 3, a transverse 'section on the line 1 2, Fig. 2; Fig.4, a section on the line 3 4, Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a'section on the line 5 6,Fig. 2 Fig. 6, a section on the line 7 8, Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a section onthe line 9 10, Fig. 6 Fig. 8, a section on the line l1 l2, Fig. 7.; andFig. 9, a view of a single quick-light apparatus constructed accordingto my invention.

I will first proceed to describe my invention as applied to adissolver-that is, a deyice for cutting off the supply of gases from oneapparatus and simultaneously admitting them to another. f

A and B represent two reservoirs, the former containing oxygen and thelatter hydrogen gas, both under pressure.

These reservoirs have at the top valved boxes A' and B', which areconnected, by means of rigid pipes a and b, with a block, D, passages inwhich serve to distribute the gases, as described hereafter, the block,owing to its rigid connections, forming, in eii'ect,

\ part of the reservoirs.

In this block D are formed six main rpassages, d, d1, and d2, andl c,c1, and c2, all of 'which communicate with a central opening, c, to

which is adapted a valve-plug, E.

The passage d serves to establish communication between the opening cand the pipe a. communicating with the oxygen-reservoir, and

the passage e between said opening and the pipe b communicating with thehydrogen-reservoir, while the passages d1 and e1 open communicationbetween the opening c and pipes leading to the oxygen and hydrogen jets,respectively, of one burner, and the passages d2 and c2 between saidopening and pipes leading to the oxygen and hydrogen jets ot' anotherburner.

In the valve-plug E are formed two openings, one in line with thepassages d, all, and d2, and the other in line with the passages c, el,and c2, and each opening has three branches, t', m, and u, which, as thevalve-plug is moved, serve to open communication between the passages dand e and the passages d1 el or d2 e2, the movement ot' the valve-plugbeing restricted under ordinary circumstances by means of a pin, f, onits stem in conjunction with pins g g on the face of the block D, andthe branches i of the openings iu the plug being of such a width thatwhen the movement of the pin f is restricted to the spacebetween thepins g g1 they will always be in communication with the passages d ande.

The branches m and n of the valve-plug openings are of a V-shape, asbest observed in Fi'gn, so that the admission of the gases to, andcutting them ott from,the passages d1 d2 or e1 c2 will be easy andgradual, and this object may be more thoroughly accomplished by makingthe passages themselves V-shaped. The pin g of the block D is, in thepresent instance, iixed, and the pin gis acted upon by a spring, so thatit can, when occasion requires, be depressed, in order to permit themove'- ment past it of the pin f on the stem of the valve-plug E,thereby permitting the latter to be so turned that the supply of gaseswill be entirely cut oli' from the passages 0lI d2 and c1 c2. Both ofthe pins g g1 may be adjustable in this way, if desired, in order topermit the cutting off of the gases by a movement of the plug E ineither direction.

Each ot' the passages d1 d2 and e1 e2 has a valve, F, by which thecourse of the gases through the same can be regulated at pleasure, eachof these valves having, by preference, a passage made V-shaped at theends. In the block Dare formed passages s and t, the former of whichextends from about the center of the block D to the passage el at apoint between the outer end of the same and its valve F, while thepassage t extends from about the center of the bleek I) to the passagee2 at a point similar to that at which the passage s communicates withthe passage e.

The passages s and t communicate with each other at the center of theblock D, and also communicate, through a passage, c, with the passage e,and consequently with the hydrogen-reservoir, and both of said passagess and t are furni hed with valves J, having V-shaped openings.

In the valve plug E, at a point midway, or thereabout, between theopenings in the same, is formed a groove, w, the annular chamber thusproduced communicating through a passage, with the atmosphere.

By this means any ot' the gases which leak around the plug E are carriedoi on arriving at the groove w, so that the accumulation of the twogases under pressure, and the formation of a dangerous and explosivecompound thereby, is prevented.

In order to facilitate the turning of the various valves of the device,I provide their stems with short arms y, to which l adapt the end of atubular rod, G, the bore of which is tted to the arm, and which is ofsuch a length that a suiijcient leverage is gained to insure the easyturning of the valves, which would otherwise be difticult to manipulate,owing to the fact that they must tit very tightly to their seats inorder to prevent the leakage of the gases, the pressure oi' the latterbeing generally very high.

The mode ot' operating the above-described device is as follows:

Snpposing, in the first instance, that all the valves are closed, theiirst operation will be the opening of the valves in the boxes A' and B'of the reservoirs, so as to permit the oxygen to enter the passage d andthe hydrogen to enter the passages e, s, and t.

The valves in the passages s and t are now so operated that a limitedsupply of hydrogen is permitted to pass to the burners of bothapparatus, so that when lighted it will form a small jet suiicient tocanse the ignition of the combined gases when admitted to the burners.

The valve-plug E is then so operated that it will open communicationbetween the passages d and e, and either the passages d1 and e1 or d2and ce2-say, for instance, the passages d1 and el. The valves F in thesepassages are then manipulated, so that the proper quantity of each gasnecessary to form, when combined, a perfect light is permitted to passto the burners. As soon as this is determined the valve-plug E is turnedover, so as to cut ofi' the gases from the passages d and el, and directthem to the passages d2 and c2, the valves F in which are then operatediu the same manner and fon thesarnepurpose as thevalves in the passagesd1 and el.

The device is now in proper working order, the passage of the gases toeither apparatus being governed by the mere partial turning ofthe plugE, the previiousadjustmentlof the valves F serving toinsure thecombination of the gases at the burners in the proper proportions toproduce aperfectligh-t;

It will be seen that, owing to the V shape of the branches mf and n of'the openings in the valve-plug E, the shutting off or turning on of thegases to the passages d1 el or d e2 will be gradual, so that the properdissolving ei'ect will be produced without affecting the quicklightproperties of the device. The proper movement of' the valve-plug E isdetermined by the pins g and g1 of the block D in connection with thepinj of the valve-stem; but when it is desired to shut, oi the supply ofgases to both apparatus the pin g1 is depressed, so as to permit thefurther, rotation of the plug, the eect of this further rotation beingto shut od the communication between the passages d and e and thebranches t' of the openings in the plug E.

My invention is especiallyT adapted to the production of a quick-lightgas-key, owing to the ease with which the gases can be entirely cut oft'from both the main passages simnlta, neously, leaving only a smallsupply of hydrogen to pass to the burner through the supplementaryhydrogen-passage so as to form a small jet which serves to ignite thecombined gases when the latter are again turned on.

In constructing single quick-light keys the block D has but one set ofpassages, d1, e1, and s, and the openings in the valve-plug E have buttwo branches, t' and m.

In this case, also, I prefer to secure the device permanently to onereservoir, and to effeet the connection with the other reservoir bymeans of a section of lead pipe, P, so that the device forms part of,and is transported with, one reservoir. -The position of the block,however, may be varied in various ways with out departing from thespirit of my invention.

Important features of my invention are the making of the block D of asingle homogeneous casting, within which all of the passages are formed,and the connection of this device to the reservoirs by rigidconnections, as it is by these means that I reduce the liability ofleakage, which is caused by the use of jointed pipes for the passage ofthe gases, and which has been one of the principal objections to theemployment of gases under heavy pressure in apparatus of the class towhich my invention relates.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of two gas-reservoirs andone or more calcium-light apparatus with a distributing-block,consisting of a single homogeneous casting, asset forth.

2. A high-pressure gas-.dissolver or quicklight gas-key, in which arecombined within a single casin g valved passages for the various gases,and a controlling-valve for directing the gases to or cutting them o"from said passages.

3. The combination, of two high-pressure gas-reservoirs, A and B, with adistributingblock, D, rigidly secured to one reservoir, and connected tothe other by a pipe, P, and detachable coupling, as and for the purposeset forth.

4. The block D, having passages d and e and valved passages d1 c1L or d2e2, and a valveplug, E, serving to open or close communication betweensaid passages d and e, and the valved passages d1 el or d2 e2, as setforth.

5. The combination of the block D, and its passages d, all, and d2, ande, e1, and e2, with the valve-plug E,"having two openings, each composedof three branches, t', m, and n, as set forth.

6. A valved gas-key, in which the passage in the body, or the passage inthe valve, or

both, are made Vshaped, for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of the passages d2 and e2 of the block D with thepassages s and t of the same, as set forth.

8. The combination of the valve-plug E, having a groove, w, with thepassage a: in the block D, as set forth.

9. The combination of the valvestems and their arms y with the tube G,adapted to said arms, as set forth.

10. The combination of the valve-plug E with stops for limiting themovement of the plug, either or both of said stops being movable, as andfor the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT G. BUZBY. Witnesses:

HERMANN MoEssNER, HARRY SMITH.

